PROFILE
OFFICIAL NAME:
Federative Republic of Brazil
Geography
Area: 8,511,965 sq. km. (3,290,000 sq. mi.);
slightly smaller than the U.S.
Cities: Capital--Brasilia (pop. 2.3
million). Other cities--Sao Paulo (10.8
million), Rio de Janeiro (6.1 million), Belo
Horizonte (2.4 million), Salvador (2.6 million),
Fortaleza (2.3 million), Recife (1.5 million),
Porto Alegre (1.4 million), Curitiba (1.7
million).
Terrain: Dense forests in northern regions
including Amazon Basin; semiarid along northeast
coast; mountains, hills, and rolling plains in
the southwest, including Mato Grosso; and
coastal lowland.
Climate: Mostly tropical or semitropical with
temperate zone in the south.
People
Nationality: Brazilian.
Population (2005 est.): 186 million.
Annual growth rate: 1.1%.
Ethnic groups: Portuguese, Italian, German,
Spanish, Japanese, Arab, African, and indigenous
people.
Religion: Roman Catholic (74%).
Language: Portuguese.
Education: Literacy--86% of adult
population.
Health: Infant mortality rate--27.5/1,000.
Life expectancy--71.3 yrs.
Work force: 90.4 million.
Government
Type: Federative republic.
Independence: September 7, 1822.
Constitution: Promulgated October 5, 1988.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of
state and head of government popularly elected
to no more than two 4-year terms).
Legislative--Senate (81 members popularly
elected to 8-year terms), Chamber of Deputies
(513 members popularly elected to 4-year terms).
Judicial--Supreme Federal Tribunal (11
lifetime positions appointed by the president).
Political parties: Workers' Party (PT),
Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB),
Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB),
Liberal Front Party (PFL), Social Democratic
Party (PSD), Democratic Workers Party (PDT),
Brazilian Labor Party (PTB), Liberal Party (PL),
Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), Communist Party
of Brazil (PC do B), Brazilian Progressive Party
(PP). Popular Socialist Party (PPS), Green Party
(PV), the Social Liberal Party (PSL), the
National Mobilization Party (PMN), National
Workers Party (PTN), Humanistic Solidarity Party
(PHS), and the Party of the Reedification of the
National Order (PRONA).
Economy (2005)
GDP: $619.7 billion (official exchange rate).
GDP: $1.579 trillion (purchasing power parity)
Annual real growth: 2.4%.
Per capita GDP: $8,400
(purchasing power parity).
Natural resources: Iron ore, manganese, bauxite,
nickel, uranium, gemstones, oil, wood, and
aluminum. Brazil has 14% of the world's
renewable fresh water.
Agriculture (10% of GDP): Products--coffee,
soybeans, sugarcane, cocoa, rice, livestock,
corn, oranges, cotton, wheat, and tobacco.
Industry (39% of GDP): Types--steel,
commercial aircraft, chemicals, petrochemicals,
footwear, machinery, motors, vehicles, auto
parts, consumer durables, cement, and lumber.
Services (51% of GDP): Types--mail,
telecommunications, banking, energy, commerce,
and computing.
Trade: Trade balance 2005--$44 billion
surplus. Exports--$118 billion. Major
markets--European Union 25.0%, United States
21.1%, and Mercosur 20.4%. Imports--$62.8
billion. Major suppliers--European Union
25.4%, United States 21.2%, Argentina 7.6%, and
China 5.6%.
PEOPLE AND HISTORY
With its estimated 186 million inhabitants,
Brazil has the largest population in Latin
America and ranks fifth in the world. The
majority of people live in the south-central
area, which includes the industrial cities of
Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte.
Urban growth has been rapid; by 2005, 81% of the
total population was living in urban areas. This
growth has aided economic development but also
has created serious social, security,
environmental, and political problems for major
cities.
Six major groups make up the Brazilian
population: the Portuguese, who colonized Brazil
in the 16th century; Africans brought to Brazil
as slaves; various other European, Middle
Eastern, and Asian immigrant groups who have
settled in Brazil since the mid-19th century;
and indigenous peoples of Tupi and Guarani
language stock. Intermarriage between the
Portuguese and indigenous people or slaves was
common. Although the major European ethnic stock
of Brazil was originally Portuguese, subsequent
waves of immigration have contributed to a
diverse ethnic and cultural heritage.
From 1875 until 1960, about 5 million
Europeans immigrated to Brazil, settling mainly
in the four southern states of Sao Paulo,
Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul.
Immigrants have come mainly from Italy, Germany,
Spain, Japan, Poland, and the Middle East. The
largest Japanese community outside Japan is in
Sao Paulo. Despite class distinctions, national
identity is strong, and racial friction is a
relatively new phenomenon. Indigenous
full-blooded Indians, located mainly in the
northern and western border regions and in the
upper Amazon Basin, constitute less than 1% of
the population. Their numbers are declining as
contact with the outside world and commercial
expansion into the interior increase. Brazilian
Government programs to establish reservations
and to provide other forms of assistance have
existed for years but are controversial and
often ineffective.
Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking nation
in the Americas. About three quarters of all
Brazilians belong to the Roman Catholic Church;
most others are Protestant or follow practices
derived from African religions.
Pedro Alvares Cabral claimed Brazil for
Portugal in 1500. The colony was ruled from
Lisbon until 1808, when Dom Joao VI and the rest
of the Portuguese royal family fled from
Napoleon's army, and established its seat of
government in Rio de Janeiro. Dom Joao VI
returned to Portugal in 1821. His son declared
Brazil's independence on September 7, 1822, and
became emperor with the title of Dom Pedro I.
His son, Dom Pedro II, ruled from 1831 to 1889,
when a federal republic was established in a
coup led by Deodoro da Fonseca, Marshal of the
Army. Slavery had been abolished a year earlier
by the Regent Princess Isabel while Dom Pedro II
was in Europe.
From 1889 to 1930, the government was a
constitutional republic, with the presidency
alternating between the dominant states of Sao
Paulo and Minas Gerais. This period ended with a
military coup that placed Getulio Vargas, a
civilian, in the presidency; Vargas remained as
dictator until 1945. Between 1945 and 1961, Jose
Linhares, Gaspar Dutra, Vargas himself, Café
Filho, Carlos Luz, Nereu Ramos, Juscelino
Kubitschek, and Janio Quadros were elected
presidents. When Quadros resigned in 1961, Vice
President Joao Goulart succeeded him.
Goulart's years in office were marked by high
inflation, economic stagnation, and the
increasing influence of radical political
elements. The armed forces, alarmed by these
developments, staged a coup on March 31, 1964.
The coup leaders chose as president Humberto
Castello Branco, followed by Arthur da Costa e
Silva (1967-69), Emilio Garrastazu Medici
(1969-74), and Ernesto Geisel (1974-79), all of
whom were senior army officers. Geisel began a
democratic opening that was continued by his
successor, Gen. Joao Baptista de Oliveira
Figueiredo (1979-85). Figueiredo not only
permitted the return of politicians exiled or
banned from political activity during the 1960s
and 1970s, but also allowed them to run for
state and federal offices in 1982.
At the same time, an electoral college
consisting of all members of congress and six
delegates chosen from each state continued to
choose the president. In January 1985, the
electoral college voted Tancredo Neves from the
opposition Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB)
into office as President. However, Neves became
ill in March and died a month later. His Vice
President, former Senator Jose Sarney, became
President upon Neves' death. Brazil completed
its transition to a popularly elected government
in 1989, when Fernando Collor de Mello won 53%
of the vote in the first direct presidential
election in 29 years. In 1992, a major
corruption scandal led to his impeachment and
ultimate resignation. Vice President Itamar
Franco took his place and governed for the
remainder of Collor's term culminating in the
October 3, 1994 presidential elections, when
Fernando Henrique Cardoso was elected President
with 54% of the vote. Cardoso took office
January 1, 1995, and pursued a program of
ambitious economic reform. He was re-elected in
October 1998 for a second four-year term. Luiz
Inacio da Silva, commonly known as Lula, was
elected president in 2002, after his fourth
campaign for the office.
President Lula, a former union leader, is
Brazil's first working-class president. Since
taking office he has taken a prudent fiscal
path, warning that social reforms would take
years and that Brazil had no alternative but to
maintain tight fiscal austerity policies.
Economic growth in 2004 and the first half of
2005 was strong with increases in employment and
real wages. Growth slowed somewhat in the second
half of 2005, but is expected to accelerate in
2006.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Brazil is a federal republic with 26 states
and a federal district. The 1988 constitution
grants broad powers to the federal government,
made up of executive, legislative, and judicial
branches. The president holds office for four
years, with the right to re-election for an
additional four-year term, and appoints his own
cabinet. There are 81 senators, three for each
state and the Federal District, and 513
deputies. Senate terms are eight years,
staggered so that two-thirds of the upper house
is up for election at one time and one-third
four years later. Chamber terms are four years,
with elections based on a complex system of
proportional representation by states. Each
state is eligible for a minimum of eight seats;
the largest state delegation (Sao Paulo's) is
capped at 70 seats. This system is weighted in
favor of geographically large but sparsely
populated states.
Fifteen political parties are represented in
Congress. Since it is common for politicians to
switch parties, the proportion of congressional
seats held by particular parties changes
regularly. The major political parties are:
- Workers' Party (PT-center-left)
- Liberal Front Party (PFL-right)
- Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB-center)
- Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB-center-left)
- Progressive Party (PP-right)
- Brazilian Labor Party (PTB-center-right)
- Liberal Party (PL-center-right)
- Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB-left)
- Popular Socialist Party (PPS-left)
- Democratic Labor Party (PDT-left)
- Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB-left)
President Lula was elected with the support of
an alliance composed of his own leftist Workers'
Party (PT), the center right Liberal Party (PL),
the leftist National Mobilization Party (PMN),
which currently only has two Deputies in the
Chamber, the leftist Popular Socialist Party
(PPS, formerly the PCB), and the leftist
Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB). The PPS as
well as the large PMDB party left the PT-led
governing coalition in December 2004. With these
withdrawals, the coalition has a small majority
in the Chamber of Deputies and a minority in the
Senate.
In June 2005, a domestic political scandal surfaced which has absorbed
most parliamentary attention and derailed the
legislative agenda and schedule. Several senior
administration and PT party officials, most
notably President Lula’s Chief of Staff Jose
Dirceu, stepped down in connection with
corruption charges. The scandal has also led to
a number of party switches by parliamentarians
and at least three congressional investigations.
Party loyalty is weak, and deputies and senators
who belong to the parties comprising the
government coalition do not always vote with the
government. Conversely, the government may also
attract support from members who are not in the
governing coalition. For example, a substantial
wing of the PMDB continues to vote with the
government coalition and the PMDB has ministries
in Lula's cabinet.
Because of the mandatory revenue allocation
to states and municipalities provided for in the
1988 constitution, Brazilian governors and
mayors have exercised considerable power since
1989. Presidential, congressional, and
gubernatorial elections last took place in
October 2002. President Lula won the election
with 61% of the vote. His challenger in the
run-off was Jose Serra of the PDSB, former
President Fernando Henrique Cardoso's party.
Municipal elections occurred in October 2004.
The next national elections, including for the
presidency, will be held in October 2006.
Although candidacies have yet to be formally
announced, it appears that President Lula will
seek reelection. Frontrunner opposition
candidates include Sao Paolo mayor Jose Serra
and Sao Paulo state governor Geraldo Alckmin.
Chief of State and Cabinet Members
President--Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Vice President--Jose Alencar Gomes da Silva
Minister-Chief Casa Civil (Chief of Staff)--Dilma
Rousseff
Secretary General--Luiz Dulci
Secretary for Economic and Social Development--Patrus
Ananias
Minister for Institutional Security--Gen. Jorge
Armando Felix
Inspector General--Jorge Hage Sobrinho
Secretary for Fishing--Altemir Gregolin
Secretary for Political Coordination--Tarso
Genro
Secretary for Racial Equality--Matilde Ribeiro
Secretary for Women’s Affairs--Nilceia Freire
Solicitor General--Alvaro Ribeiro Costa
Minister of Agrarian Development--Guilherme
Cassel
Minister of Agriculture--Roberto Rodrigues
Minister of Cities--Marcio Fortes
Minister of Communication--Helio Costa
Minister of Culture--Gilberto Gil
Minister of Defense--Waldir Pires
Minister of Development, Industry, & Trade--Luiz
Fernando Furlan
Minister of Education--Fernando Haddad
Minister of Environment--Marina Silva
Minister of Finance--Guido Mantega
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Celso Amorim
Minister of Health--José Agenor
Minister of Justice--Marcio Tomaz Bastos
Minister of Labor and Employment--Luiz Marinho
Minister of Mines and Energy--Silas Rondeau
Minister of National Integration--Pedro Brito
Minister of Planning and Budget--Paulo Bernardo
Minister of Science and Technology--Sergio
Rezende
Minister of Social Development--Patrus Ananias
Minister of Social Security--Nelson Machado
Minister of Sports--Orlando Silva
Minister of Tourism--Walfrido Mares Guia
Minister of Transportation--Paulo Sérgio Passos
Central Bank President--Henrique Meirelles
Ambassador to the United States--Roberto Abdenur
Ambassador to the United Nations--Ronaldo
Sardenberg
Ambassador to the OAS--Osmar Vladimir Chohfi
Note: The Offices of Political Coordination
and Human Rights, and the Secretariat of
Communications have been consolidated into the
Ministry of Economic and Social Development,
Justice, and the Chief of Staff, respectively.
Brazil maintains an
embassy
in the United States at 3006 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel.
202-238-2700). Brazil has consulates general in
New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and
consulates in Miami, Houston, Boston, and San
Francisco.
ECONOMY
Brazil's economy, aided by a benign
international environment, grew approximately
2.4% in 2005 and 4.9% in 2004. Sustained growth,
coupled with booming exports, healthy external
accounts, moderate inflation, decreasing
unemployment, and reductions in the debt-to-GDP
ratio. President Lula and his economic team have
implemented prudent fiscal and monetary policies
and have pursued necessary microeconomic
reforms.
Brazil has made progress but significant
vulnerabilities remain. Despite registering its
first year-on-year decline in 2004, Brazil's
(largely domestic) government debt remains high,
at 51% of GDP. Total foreign debt, while
falling, is still large in relation to Brazil's
modest export base. Over time this concern will
be reduced by healthy export growth, which has
anchored the positive trade and current
accounts. Personal incomes improved in 2004 and
2005 after a significant decline over the
previous decade. Income and land distribution
remains skewed.
Sustaining high growth rates in the longer
term depends on the impact of President Lula's
structural reform program and efforts to build a
more welcoming climate for investment, both
domestic and foreign. In its first year, the
Lula administration passed key tax and pension
reforms to improve the government fiscal
accounts. Judicial reform and an overhaul of the
bankruptcy law, which should improve the
functioning of credit markets, were passed in
late 2004, along with tax measures to create
incentives for long-term savings and
investments.
Legislation promoting public private
partnerships, a key effort to attract private
investment to infrastructure, also passed in
2004. Labor reform and proposals to increase
autonomy for the Central Bank are pending.
Despite this well-considered reform agenda, much
remains to be done to improve the regulatory
climate for investments, particularly in the
energy sector; to simplify tax systems at the
state and federal levels; and to further reform
the pension system.
Trade Policy
President Lula has made economic growth and
poverty alleviation top priorities. Export
promotion is a main component in plans to
generate growth and reduce what is seen as a
vulnerability to international financial market
gyrations. To increase exports, the government
is seeking access to foreign markets through
trade negotiations and increased export
promotion as well as government financing for
exports.
To increase its international profile (both
economically and politically), the Lula
administration is seeking expanded trade ties
with developing countries, as well as a
strengthening of the Mercosul (Mercosur in
Spanish) customs union with Uruguay, Paraguay
and Argentina. In 2004, Mercosul concluded free
trade agreements with Colombia, Ecuador,
Venezuela and Peru, adding to its existing
agreements with Chile and Bolivia to establish a
commercial base for the newly-launched South
American Community of Nations. Mercosul is
pursuing free trade negotiations with Mexico and
Canada and has resumed trade negotiations with
the EU. The trade bloc also plans to launch
trilateral free trade negotiations with India
and South Africa, building on partial trade
liberalization agreements concluded with these
countries in 2004. In December 2005, Venezuela
was added to the trade bloc as a full, but
non-voting member pending harmonization of
Venezuela’s trade policies and regulations with
Mercosul standards. China has increased its
importance as an export market for Brazilian
soy, iron ore and steel, becoming Brazil's
fourth largest trading partner and a potential
source of investment.
Reform Agenda
In 2003, Congress passed Lula's key reforms
of the public sector pension system and the tax
code. The 2004 legislative season was not very
productive, in part because of a political
scandal early in the year followed by
campaigning for the October municipal elections.
In December 2004, several key bills passed into
law, including a reform of the judicial system,
a modern bankruptcy law, and Public Private
Partnerships to fund infrastructure projects. In
March 2005, a law to legalize biotechnology
crops and stem cell research passed. The
domestic political scandal, which surfaced in
June 2005, has distracted attention this session
from further judicial reforms and efforts to
increase Central Bank autonomy.
Agriculture
Agriculture is a major sector of the
Brazilian economy, and is key for economic
growth and foreign exchange. Agriculture
accounts for 10% of GDP (30% when including
agribusiness) and 40% of Brazilian exports.
Brazil enjoyed a positive agricultural trade
balance of U.S. $34 billion in 2004. Brazil is
the world's largest producer of sugar cane,
coffee, tropical fruits, frozen concentrated
orange juice (FCOJ), and has the world's largest
commercial cattle herd (50% larger than the
U.S.) at 170 million head. Brazil is also an
important producer of soybeans (second to the
United States), corn, cotton, cocoa, tobacco,
and forest products. The remainder of
agricultural output is in the livestock sector,
mainly the production of beef and poultry
(second to the United States), pork, milk, and
seafood.
Other Aspects
Forests cover half of Brazil, with the largest
rain forest in the world located in the Amazon
Basin. Recent migrations into the Amazon and
large-scale burning of forest areas have brought
international attention. The government has
reduced incentives for such activity and is
implementing an ambitious environmental plan
that includes an Environmental Crimes Law with
serious penalties for infractions.
Brazil has one of the most advanced
industrial sectors in Latin America. Accounting
for one-third of GDP, Brazil's diverse
industries range from automobiles and parts,
other machinery and equipment, steel, textiles,
shoes, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, and
petrochemicals, to computers, aircraft, and
consumer durables. Most major automobile
producers have established production facilities
in Brazil.
Brazil has a diverse and sophisticated
services industry as well. Mail and
telecommunications are the largest, followed by
banking, energy, commerce, and computing. During
the 1990s, Brazil's financial services industry
underwent a major overhaul and is relatively
sound. The financial sector provides local firms
a wide range of financial products. The largest
financial firms are Brazilian (and the two
largest banks are government-owned), but U.S.
and other foreign firms have an important share
of the market.
Privatization triggered a flood of investors
after 1996. The yearly investment average in the
telecom sector the 4 years prior to the start of
privatization was R$5.8 billion, and the annual
average for the four years following
privatization was R$16.3 billion, nearly
tripling. Investment in the electrical power
sector increased from R$5.3 billion annually in
the pre-privatization era to R$7.2 billion. U.S.
companies provided a great deal of this influx
of cash. After 2000, many of these investors
suffered huge losses in the face of adverse
regulatory decisions and especially the sharp
depreciation of the real. The energy sector was
especially hard hit.
In 2001, Brazil experienced an electricity
crisis due to inadequate rainfall for its
hydroelectric system and insufficient new
investment in the sector. Mandatory rationing
and price hikes were sufficient to prevent
blackouts. The rationing system officially ended
on March 1, 2002. Lula’s then-Energy Minister
unveiled an energy plan in July 2003, which left
many vital details undefined and most investors
dissatisfied.
The Government of Brazil has undertaken an
ambitious program to reduce dependence on
imported oil. In the mid-1980s, imports
accounted for more than 70% of Brazil's oil and
derivatives needs; the net figure is nearing
zero. Some analysts forecast that Brazil could
become a net exporter of oil by the end of 2006
as output from the Campos Basin continues to
increase. Brazil is one of the world's leading
producers of hydroelectric power. Of its total
installed electricity-generation capacity of
90,000 megawatts, hydropower accounts for 66,000
megawatts (74%).
Proven mineral resources are extensive. Large
iron and manganese reserves are important
sources of industrial raw materials and export
earnings. Deposits of nickel, tin, chromite,
bauxite, beryllium, copper, lead, tungsten,
zinc, gold, and other minerals are exploited.
High-quality, coking-grade coal required in the
steel industry is in short supply.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Brazil has traditionally been a leader in
the inter-American community and played an
important role in collective security efforts,
as well as in economic cooperation in the
Western Hemisphere. Brazil supported the Allies
in both World Wars. During World War II, its
expeditionary force in Italy played a key role
in the Allied victory at Monte Castello. It is a
member of the Organization of American States
(OAS) and a party to the Inter-American Treaty
of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty). Recently,
Brazil has given high priority to expanding
relations with its South American neighbors and
is a founding member of the Latin American
Integration Association (ALADI), the Community
of South American Nations (CASN) and Mercosul, a
customs union including Argentina, Uruguay,
Paraguay, and Brazil, with Chile, Bolivia, Peru,
Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador as associate
members.
Along with Argentina, Chile, and the U.S.,
Brazil is one of the guarantors of the
Peru-Ecuador peace process. Brazil is a charter
member of the United Nations and participates in
its specialized agencies. It has contributed
troops to UN peacekeeping efforts in the Middle
East, the former Belgian Congo, Cyprus,
Mozambique, Angola, East Timor, and most
recently Haiti. Brazil is currently leading the
UN peacekeeping force in Haiti. In January 2004,
Brazil began a two-year term as a non-permanent
member of the UN Security Council. Prior to
this, it had been a member of the UN Security
Council four times. Brazil is lobbying for a
permanent position on the UN Security Council.
Brazil has chaired the "Group of Friends"
countries committed to supporting long-term
democracy in Venezuela, of which the U.S. also
is a member.
As Brazil's domestic economy has grown and
diversified, the country has become increasingly
involved in international economic and trade
policy discussions. For example, Brazil has been
a leader of the G-20 group of nations in the WTO
Doha Round talks. The U.S., Western Europe, and
Japan are primary markets for Brazilian exports
and sources of foreign lending and investment.
China is a growing market for Brazilian exports.
Brazil also has bolstered its commitment to
nonproliferation through ratification of the
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), signing
a full-scale nuclear safeguard agreement with
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
acceding to the Treaty of Tlatelolco, and
joining the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)
and the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
U.S.-BRAZILIAN RELATIONS
The United States was the first country to
recognize Brazil's independence in 1822. The two
countries have traditionally enjoyed friendly,
active relations encompassing a broad political
and economic agenda.
The relationship between Brazil and the U.S.
strengthened with the inauguration of Brazil's
internationally oriented, reformist President
Fernando Henrique Cardoso in 1995. President
Bush invited then President-elect Lula to
Washington for a meeting in December 2002.
President Lula again visited Washington for a
summit on June 20, 2003. Documents covering the
results of the summit can be found on the
White House and
State Department web sites. Deepening
U.S.-Brazil engagement and cooperation are
reflected in the numerous recent high-level
contacts between the two governments, including
visits to Brazil by President Bush in November
2005 (see Joint Statement), Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice in April 2005 and
then-Secretary of State Colin Powell in October
2004, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in March
2005, and Treasury Secretary John Snow in August
2005 , as well as to the U.S. by Brazilian
Foreign Minister Amorim, and many other members
of President Lula’s cabinet.
Ongoing topics of discussion and cooperation
include trade and finance; hemispheric economic
integration; Free Trade Area of the Americas;
nonproliferation and arms control; human rights
and trafficking in persons; international crime,
including financial support to terrorist groups;
counter-narcotics; and environmental issues.
Existing bilateral agreements include an
Education Partnership Agreement, which enhances
and expands cooperative initiatives in such
areas as standards-based education reform, use
of technology, and professional development of
teachers; a Mutual Legal Assistance
treaty--ratified in 2001; and agreements on
cooperation in energy, the environment, science
& technology, and transportation.
U.S. Embassy and Consulate Functions
The U.S. embassy and consulates in Brazil
provide a wide range of services to U.S.
citizens and business. Political, economic, and
science officers deal directly with the
Brazilian Government in advancing U.S. interests
but also are available to brief U.S. citizens on
general conditions in the country. Attaches from
the U.S. Commercial Service and Foreign
Agriculture Service work closely with hundreds
of U.S. companies that maintain offices in
Brazil. These officers provide information on
Brazilian trade and industry regulations and
administer several programs to aid U.S.
companies starting or maintaining business
ventures in Brazil. The number of trade events
and U.S. companies traveling to Brazil to
participate in U.S. Commercial Service and
Foreign Agriculture Service programs has tripled
over the last three years.
The consular section of the embassy provides
vital services to the estimated 50,000 U.S.
citizens residing in Brazil. Among other
services, the consular section assists Americans
who wish to participate in U.S. elections while
abroad and provides U.S. tax information.
Besides the U.S. residents living in Brazil,
some 150,000 U.S. citizens visit annually. The
consular section offers passport and emergency
services to U.S. tourists as needed during their
stay in Brazil.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Ambassador--vacant
Deputy Chief of Mission--Philip Chicola
Defense Attaché--Captain Paul Bruno, U.S. Navy
Consul General--Simon Henshaw
Economic Counselor--Bruce Williamson
Commercial Officer--Dinah
McDougall
Political Counselor--Dennis Hearne
Science Counselor--Patricia Norman
Public Affairs Counselor--Patrick Linehan
Consul General in Sao Paulo--Christopher
McMullen
Consul General in Rio de Janeiro--Edmund Atkins
Consul in Recife--Diana Page
The
U.S. Embassy in Brasilia is located at SES
Avenida das Nacoes, quadra 801, lote 3,
Brasilia, DF, CEP: 70.403-900 (tel.
55-61-3312-7000), (fax 55-61-3225-9136).
Internet:
http://brasilia.usembassy.gov/.
U.S. consulates general are in Rio de Janeiro
and Sao Paulo, and a consulate is in Recife.
Consular agents are located in Manaus, Belem,
Salvador, Fortaleza, and Porto Alegre. Branch
offices of the U.S. Foreign Commercial Services
are located in Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Rio de
Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte.